Housing and activities in Méridia district

At the heart of the new Méridia district, the mixed-use development is organised around the square of the same name, a new attractive and lively hub and a place of exchange for all future users. The two buildings that we are designing respond to each other on either side of the square and enhance the identity of Nice by reinterpreting its codes. They are organised in volumes of different heights linked by external gaps integrating the vertical circulations, naturally lit and ventilated. Designed as a real walk, the ascent to the dwellings is punctuated by filters, like so many thresholds of intimacy. These gaps, real breathing spaces within the buildings, open up views from the public space towards the heart of the blocks while giving rhythm to the linear facade. The buildings bordering the square have a vegetable garden on their roofs that is accessible and open to the public. The majority of the dwellings benefit from a double or even triple orientation, and all have large, sloping balconies and full-height windows. Concrete is used in a variety of finishes - smooth, sandblasted, stained concrete - and the warm colours of the materials evoke those of the Nice palette, associated with the buildings of the region.